TRENTON — She has injected humor into jury selection proceedings, had fierce discussions with council in an open courtroom and has instructed jurors in a distinct “motherly” way.

The woman who presided over Mayor John Bencivengo’s corruption case runs her courtroom like she runs her life — with deep respect, nurturing protection and a sharp sense of humor.

“I feel that I’ve been very lucky,” said Judge Anne Thompson. “I love my job, I love what we do and I love the whole experience,” the 78-year-old said.

Thompson graduated from Howard University and began her career in law in the early 1970’s, as a Mercer County public defender, fighting for the rights of those who could not fight for themselves. She transitioned her career into a municipal judge, then became a county prosecutor in 1975 and finally was hand selected by President Jimmy Carter to be the first African-American female federal district supreme court judge in the State of New Jersey in 1979.

Advertisement

She simultaneously raised her career while raising a family, during a time when many women only worked as homemakers. “I was vertical all the time, I never sat down,” Thompson recalled before releasing a bright smile. “I was a short order cook, I’d get the roof fixed, get the lawn cut and I never watched T.V.”

Her honor recalled juggling presiding over cases by day and being a doting mom and wife at night. She remembers sitting in the bleachers with case files while watching her son’s basketball and football games, after work.

The secret to her success, according to Thompson, is owed to her supportive husband and the slew of peers who became her greatest friends and supporters along the way. Pictures of celebrities who became cherished confidants — like actress Kitty Carlisle Hart, former New York Mayor David Dinkins and former State Senator Constance Baker Motley — are positioned around her plush chambers amongst framed letters, diplomas which hang on the walls, and dozens of frames which hold pictures of her former law clerks, whom she proudly describes as her kids.

“They are mine,” she said referring to each law clerk who was hired , trained and now hold prestigious positions at law firms and court rooms throughout the country. “I take great pride in them and when they leave and move on, it takes me a couple of months for me to get over, that they left me.”

Thompson, who has presided as a federal judge for 33 years, has not been jaded by the slew of defendants who have stood before her accused of heinous crimes. She innately stirs up her protective and motherly voice as she describes how she has been able to balance the needs of the prosecution and the defendants throughout her more than three decades on the bench. “People are basically very nice. The tragedy is that circumstances position (people) in competitive adversarial positions which result in friction, and some people develop in an environment where they feel threatened all the time.”

Although she is thoughtful and conscientious of the parameters of the law, Thompson is also considerate of the time and energy jurors and witnesses provide when they enter the courtroom. During the Bencivengo case, Thompson aggressively encouraged defense attorney Jerome Ballaratto to work faster and to be considerate during witness testimony. “You cannot rush through the law, however I like to see a case move and not get dragged out,” she said. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

She brings her humane sensibility when deciding sentencing for accused criminals. “A whole universe of legal factors goes into a decision,” said Thompson. “But I also think about the defendant itself, sometimes (defendants) write me a letter before they are sentenced, and I take that into consideration (as well as) the individual person.”

A senior judge, Thompson is allowed to lessen her workload and has reined in the number of civil cases she presides over. However, her passion for criminal cases keeps her busy to date, opting to stay on the bench indefinitely into the foreseeable future. “The wonderful thing about this job is that every case comes with its own challenges and I always find each case has some kernel of knowledge for me,” she said as another bright smile escaped from her lips. “This is fascinating work. I would recommend this job to anybody.”

Thompson attributes her success to her strong family beginnings, which included a mother who worked tirelessly to instill values and education into her life. Her hard work and calm motherly demeanor, combined with good fortune, has brought Thompson from her humble beginnings in Philadelphia to becoming one of the most honored and celebrated female judges in the country. “I have been very lucky, with my family, my friends and very lucky in life,” she said.

After pausing for a moment, Thompson frowned and said “But my luck ran out when my husband died.”